One thing left out of the Apollo 11 moon landing
Written by James Matthews
The Omega watch company boasts to have created the only watch (Omega Speedmaster) that has visited another planet. This year they released a commemorative addition in honor the 40th year anniversary. However Omega wasn’t the first choice for the astronaut’s watches, The Bulova Watch Company was.
The Bulova Watch Company was founded and incorporated as the J. Bulova Company in 1875 by Joseph Bulova (1851-1936), an immigrant from Bohemia. It was reincorporated under the name Bulova Watch Company in 1923, and became part of the Loews Corporation in 1979.
Bulova established its operations in Woodside, New York and Flushing, New York, where it made innovations in watchmaking and developed a number of watchmaking tools. Its horological innovations included the Accutron watch which used resonating tuning forks as a means of regulating the time keeping function.
During 1969 Bulova was in fierce competition with the Omega Watch Company on whose watch will be worn on the moon. Bulova submitted the Accutron watch with a tuning fork and Omega submitted the Speedmaster Chronograph.
NASA was skeptical on how the tuning fork within the Accutron would work in the low gravity environment of the moon and selected the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph. However all the clocks within the lunar module were made by Bulova (with the tuning fork movement).
So Bulova wristwatches didn’t make it to the surface of the moon however Bulova clocks did. I wonder what will happen on the next trip to the moon.
This post was written by James Matthews. If you have any questions or comments you may contact him at james@jewelerslounge.com
How could you possibly know what the first choice for the astronaut’s watches was? You say Bulova, some say Rolex… However, on most pictures they seem to be wearing Omegas.
The watches have not been submitted. NASA officials covertly bought several brands of chronograph watches in retail stores and began to put them through rigorous stress tests.
Turns out that a timing device in the lunar module was malfunctioning so Neil left his Omega Speedmaster in the cockpit as a backup timing device.
Lewis,
Neil left the lunar model with an electronic timing device. He was unsure if it would work and therefore brought the Omega.
Also the Omega Speedmaster wasn’t the only watch to make it into space . It was the first watch to make it to the moon.
NASA wanted to use American (USA) products because it was an American mission and though to choose Bulova.
Thanks
James